
5,000-Year-Old Grape Press, Oldest Proof of Wine Production in Israel, Found Near Megiddo
Archaeologists working along Highway 66 near Tel Megiddo have uncovered a 5,000-year-old wine press—the earliest direct evidence of wine production in the Land of Israel—announced on Wednesday, November 5. The salvage excavation, conducted ahead of road expansion, also revealed pits containing cultic objects from roughly 3,300 years ago, including a striking ram-shaped vessel and a small model of a shrine.
Researchers say the press dates securely to the Early Bronze Age, supported by surrounding architecture and diagnostic pottery. The finds suggest that the settlement area around the famous Tel was larger and more complex than previously understood, offering new insight into daily life, agriculture, and ritual practice in the eras preceding and overlapping Israel’s early emergence as a people.
The team is analyzing residues to better understand the contents and uses of the vessels, while the broader discovery invites fresh study of how ordinary Canaanites may have worshiped beyond the main temple compound. The find enriches both Israel’s archaeological record and its biblical landscape—at Megiddo, a site with layers of history that still yields surprises.
(TOI/VFI News)
“Father, thank You for discoveries that illuminate the heritage of the Land and the story of Your people. Bless the archaeologists and workers with safety and success, and use these findings to strengthen faith and inspire future generations. May the beauty of creation and the fruit of the vine remind us of Your goodness and covenant love.”
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